"K0HB" wrote in message
news:b71720b321f483edfb53ce7de21e4078.128005@mygat e.mailgate.org...
Between February 14, 1991 and July 5, 1991, the Commission granted 1,925
new Technician class licenses under the no-code provisions. A couple of
guys have done research which shows that 1,880 of those licenses have
not been renewed or upgraded to a higher class license and are beyond
the two year grace period. That equates to a retention rate of only
2.3%.

Any ideas for increasing the reenlistment rate?

73, de Hans, K0HB

Drop the no-code provision of the Tech license, obviously.

With a 97.7% failure rate, I'd say the new policy is a real loser. - We
better drop it fast and return to what worked better in the past.

I predicted something like this, but not to such a degree, when so many of
the new no-code techs showed a generalized disrespect for the PART97 regs
and the traditions of amateur radio. It was obvious that many of them did
not care at all about the hobby. - They just wanted to know what they could
get out it, what they could get away with. Many of them spent more time
bashing the hobby than anything else. As you have noted, almost none of them
went on to progress and advance themselves as hams.

Personally, I think we will be much better off without most of those "hams",
and that we should avoid policies that increase membership in this way in
the future. We should do as we did in the past, emphasizing quality, not
quantity of our membership.

According to your figures Hans, the no-code tech deal did the hobby more
harm than good.

Charles, N5PVL

"charlesb" wrote in message
m...

"K0HB" wrote in message
news:b71720b321f483edfb53ce7de21e4078.128005@mygat e.mailgate.org...
Between February 14, 1991 and July 5, 1991, the Commission granted 1,925
new Technician class licenses under the no-code provisions. A couple of
guys have done research which shows that 1,880 of those licenses have
not been renewed or upgraded to a higher class license and are beyond
the two year grace period. That equates to a retention rate of only
2.3%.

Any ideas for increasing the reenlistment rate?

73, de Hans, K0HB

Drop the no-code provision of the Tech license, obviously.

With a 97.7% failure rate, I'd say the new policy is a real loser. - We
better drop it fast and return to what worked better in the past.

I predicted something like this, but not to such a degree, when so many of
the new no-code techs showed a generalized disrespect for the PART97 regs
and the traditions of amateur radio. It was obvious that many of them did
not care at all about the hobby. - They just wanted to know what they
could
get out it, what they could get away with. Many of them spent more time
bashing the hobby than anything else. As you have noted, almost none of
them
went on to progress and advance themselves as hams.

Personally, I think we will be much better off without most of those
"hams",
and that we should avoid policies that increase membership in this way in
the future. We should do as we did in the past, emphasizing quality, not
quantity of our membership.

According to your figures Hans, the no-code tech deal did the hobby more
harm than good.

Charles, N5PVL



Sigh. How 'bout this: ever consider that a lot of CBers did, indeed, hear
of the new requirements (lower CW testing standards) and decide to get into
ham radio for....guess what: FM!!!!!???? When I was "into" CB radio, I was
barely ever on AM. There's a whole "other" gang of participants out there
on CB--and the mentors of that group are mostly hams. The USB/LSB and,
alas, FM--yes, illegal but done--part of CB is an area where you'll find
people who are courteous, have "gentlemen's" rules that are followed; where
people experiment with antenna design and construction; where an "eyeball"
meeting is just as likely; etc.

When I was drawn to and got my ticket, you know what the greatest relief
was? Being able to turn a radio on and not hear all that hissing,
heterodyning, etc.!!! FM is great and that is what I like most about ham
radio. HF sucks for all the noise. So, no need/interest to upgrade. And,
everyone else was as relieved and impressed with FM also. Listening to HF
brings back those days when we had to deal with all that noise. And, it's
not a pretty memory.

Kim W5TIT

Kim, Hans was pointing out the large (apparent) numbers of *codeless* techs
not renewing their licenses. My guess is that close to 100% of their
operation (if, indeed, they did operate) was on FM. As far as the noise on
HF, that may be one reason I never cared for contests. I spent time on 40
during the day and 160 in the evening. For the distance, I simply preferred
CW. Back in the pre-DSP days, a 250 Hz filter did wonders. Noise?
Non-existent.

73 from Rochester, NY
Jim AA2QA


"Kim W5TIT" wrote in message
...

Sigh. How 'bout this: ever consider that a lot of CBers did, indeed, hear
of the new requirements (lower CW testing standards) and decide to get
into
ham radio for....guess what: FM!!!!!???? When I was "into" CB radio, I
was
barely ever on AM. There's a whole "other" gang of participants out there
on CB--and the mentors of that group are mostly hams. The USB/LSB and,
alas, FM--yes, illegal but done--part of CB is an area where you'll find
people who are courteous, have "gentlemen's" rules that are followed;
where
people experiment with antenna design and construction; where an "eyeball"
meeting is just as likely; etc.

When I was drawn to and got my ticket, you know what the greatest relief
was? Being able to turn a radio on and not hear all that hissing,
heterodyning, etc.!!! FM is great and that is what I like most about ham
radio. HF sucks for all the noise. So, no need/interest to upgrade.
And,
everyone else was as relieved and impressed with FM also. Listening to HF
brings back those days when we had to deal with all that noise. And, it's
not a pretty memory.

Kim W5TIT




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In article , "Kim "
writes:

FM!!!!!????

(snipped for brevity)

That's one reason, Kim, stated in a way that makes a lot of sense.

Here's another:

Even before 1991, a considerable number of hams in this area (metro Philly)
were friends and family members of hams who wanted a way to keep in touch while
mobile. The most common setup was the 2-careers/kids/cars household, where the
radio was used for all sorts of "honeydew" purposes.

This sort of thing was particularly popular on some machines around here
because the culture in this area encourages open machines, deference to mobiles
and HTs, and wide coverage. Plus there are so many open machines around here
that you can usally find one that's not in use.

What really drove that boom was not the dropping of the code test but the
availability of inexpensive, small, easy-to-use HTs and mobile rigs. And the
proliferation of repeaters,

These folks were hams, all right, but their interest in ham radio was not about
radio as an end in itself, but radio as a means to an end. IOW, just a tool to
do a job, not the main attraction.

Trouble is, cell phones now fill those roles.

73 de Jim, N2EY

"Kim W5TIT" wrote in message
...
"charlesb" wrote in message
m...

"K0HB" wrote in message
news:b71720b321f483edfb53ce7de21e4078.128005@mygat e.mailgate.org...
Between February 14, 1991 and July 5, 1991, the Commission granted
1,925
new Technician class licenses under the no-code provisions. A couple
of
guys have done research which shows that 1,880 of those licenses have
not been renewed or upgraded to a higher class license and are beyond
the two year grace period. That equates to a retention rate of only
2.3%.

Any ideas for increasing the reenlistment rate?

73, de Hans, K0HB

Drop the no-code provision of the Tech license, obviously.

With a 97.7% failure rate, I'd say the new policy is a real loser. - We
better drop it fast and return to what worked better in the past.

I predicted something like this, but not to such a degree, when so many
of
the new no-code techs showed a generalized disrespect for the PART97
regs
and the traditions of amateur radio. It was obvious that many of them
did
not care at all about the hobby. - They just wanted to know what they
could
get out it, what they could get away with. Many of them spent more time
bashing the hobby than anything else. As you have noted, almost none of
them
went on to progress and advance themselves as hams.

Personally, I think we will be much better off without most of those
"hams",
and that we should avoid policies that increase membership in this way
in
the future. We should do as we did in the past, emphasizing quality, not
quantity of our membership.

According to your figures Hans, the no-code tech deal did the hobby more
harm than good.

Charles, N5PVL



Sigh. How 'bout this: ever consider that a lot of CBers did, indeed, hear
of the new requirements (lower CW testing standards) and decide to get
into
ham radio for....guess what: FM!!!!!???? When I was "into" CB radio, I
was
barely ever on AM. There's a whole "other" gang of participants out there
on CB--and the mentors of that group are mostly hams. The USB/LSB and,
alas, FM--yes, illegal but done--part of CB is an area where you'll find
people who are courteous, have "gentlemen's" rules that are followed;
where
people experiment with antenna design and construction; where an "eyeball"
meeting is just as likely; etc.

When I was drawn to and got my ticket, you know what the greatest relief
was? Being able to turn a radio on and not hear all that hissing,
heterodyning, etc.!!! FM is great and that is what I like most about ham
radio. HF sucks for all the noise. So, no need/interest to upgrade.
And,
everyone else was as relieved and impressed with FM also. Listening to HF
brings back those days when we had to deal with all that noise. And, it's
not a pretty memory.

Kim W5TIT



Sounds like Kim need to operate a cell phone.

Dan/W4NTI

"Kim W5TIT" wrote


When I was drawn to and got my ticket, you know what the greatest relief
was? Being able to turn a radio on and not hear all that hissing,
heterodyning, etc.!!! FM is great and that is what I like most about ham
radio. HF sucks for all the noise.


Well, I feel exactly the opposite. To me, FM is boring, but hidden in
all that noise and hissing on HF are the reasons I love ham radio.
Reasons like John, 9M2GV, an expat Brit running a rubber plantation
overlooking the Mallacca Straits. Reasons like Sparky, W3UBM/MM making
the Pacific runs on the rusty old SS Manderson Victory. Reasons
like working K0IR (as VK0IR) on three modes and five bands from
Heard Island, almost at the antipode on the low side of the
freckles-del-Sol. In other words, picking out an almost ghostly
signal from the molecular noise of the universe and finding a
friend, a kindred soul playing exhuberantly in the ether. FM sucks
for all the silence.

YMMV.

73, de Hans, K0HB
Grand Exhalted Liberator of the Electric Smoke



--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"Hans Kohb" wrote in message
news:23340ef8c0f36832979d5f2d70c241e4.128005@mygat e.mailgate.org...
"Kim W5TIT" wrote


When I was drawn to and got my ticket, you know what the greatest relief
was? Being able to turn a radio on and not hear all that hissing,
heterodyning, etc.!!! FM is great and that is what I like most about
ham
radio. HF sucks for all the noise.


Well, I feel exactly the opposite. To me, FM is boring, but hidden in
all that noise and hissing on HF are the reasons I love ham radio.
Reasons like John, 9M2GV, an expat Brit running a rubber plantation
overlooking the Mallacca Straits. Reasons like Sparky, W3UBM/MM making
the Pacific runs on the rusty old SS Manderson Victory. Reasons
like working K0IR (as VK0IR) on three modes and five bands from
Heard Island, almost at the antipode on the low side of the
freckles-del-Sol. In other words, picking out an almost ghostly
signal from the molecular noise of the universe and finding a
friend, a kindred soul playing exhuberantly in the ether. FM sucks
for all the silence.

YMMV.

73, de Hans, K0HB
Grand Exhalted Liberator of the Electric Smoke



You definitely have a point with the exhilaration of a long-distance
contact--especially if they are willing to slow down long enough to get into
a ragchew! But, these days--for someone like me anyway--the "contact" can
be had over the internet. If we're talking pleasure contacts--those where
we take some time to "get to know" someone--internet definitely takes the
upper hand for me. If we're talking necessity radio--that part where
communication necessity comes into play--ham radio has it hands down.

Kim W5TIT

"Kim W5TIT" wrote in message
...
"Hans Kohb" wrote in message
news:23340ef8c0f36832979d5f2d70c241e4.128005@mygat e.mailgate.org...
"Kim W5TIT" wrote


When I was drawn to and got my ticket, you know what the greatest
relief
was? Being able to turn a radio on and not hear all that hissing,
heterodyning, etc.!!! FM is great and that is what I like most about
ham
radio. HF sucks for all the noise.


Well, I feel exactly the opposite. To me, FM is boring, but hidden in
all that noise and hissing on HF are the reasons I love ham radio.
Reasons like John, 9M2GV, an expat Brit running a rubber plantation
overlooking the Mallacca Straits. Reasons like Sparky, W3UBM/MM making
the Pacific runs on the rusty old SS Manderson Victory. Reasons
like working K0IR (as VK0IR) on three modes and five bands from
Heard Island, almost at the antipode on the low side of the
freckles-del-Sol. In other words, picking out an almost ghostly
signal from the molecular noise of the universe and finding a
friend, a kindred soul playing exhuberantly in the ether. FM sucks
for all the silence.

YMMV.

73, de Hans, K0HB
Grand Exhalted Liberator of the Electric Smoke



You definitely have a point with the exhilaration of a long-distance
contact--especially if they are willing to slow down long enough to get
into
a ragchew! But, these days--for someone like me anyway--the "contact" can
be had over the internet. If we're talking pleasure contacts--those where
we take some time to "get to know" someone--internet definitely takes the
upper hand for me. If we're talking necessity radio--that part where
communication necessity comes into play--ham radio has it hands down.

Kim W5TIT



This commentary from hug and chalk Kim should prove, to those that were
wavering...that she has no concept at all of what ham radio is all about.

Dan/W4NTI

"Hans Kohb" wrote in message
news:23340ef8c0f36832979d5f2d70c241e4.128005@mygat e.mailgate.org...

Well, I feel exactly the opposite. To me, FM is boring, but hidden in
all that noise and hissing on HF are the reasons I love ham radio.
Reasons like John, 9M2GV, an expat Brit running a rubber plantation
overlooking the Mallacca Straits. Reasons like Sparky, W3UBM/MM making
the Pacific runs on the rusty old SS Manderson Victory. Reasons
like working K0IR (as VK0IR) on three modes and five bands from
Heard Island, almost at the antipode on the low side of the
freckles-del-Sol. In other words, picking out an almost ghostly
signal from the molecular noise of the universe and finding a
friend, a kindred soul playing exhuberantly in the ether. FM sucks
for all the silence.


I like that!

Charles Brabham, N5PVL

In article ilgate.org, "Hans
Kohb" writes:

hidden in
all that noise and hissing on HF are the reasons I love ham radio.
Reasons like John, 9M2GV, an expat Brit running a rubber plantation
overlooking the Mallacca Straits. Reasons like Sparky, W3UBM/MM making
the Pacific runs on the rusty old SS Manderson Victory. Reasons
like working K0IR (as VK0IR) on three modes and five bands from
Heard Island, almost at the antipode on the low side of the
freckles-del-Sol. In other words, picking out an almost ghostly
signal from the molecular noise of the universe and finding a
friend, a kindred soul playing exhuberantly in the ether.

But...but Hans, we've been told repeatedly that "better modes and modulations"
have made all that "antiquated, horse and buggy" "electronic paintball war"
stuff "obsolete". The "professionals" don't do any of that - who are we to
stand against "progress"?

73 de Jim, N2EY